The New Orleans Saints finally selected a pass rusher, even if hardly anyone had heard of him.

In an NFL draft in which the Saints had filled many of their needs by picking a safety, offensive tackle, defensive tackle and a receiver, they used their sixth-round pick, No. 183 overall, to select Division II Tarleton State defensive end Rufus Johnson.

Johnson, 6 feet 5 and 272 pounds, was the 27th ranked defensive end by NFLdraftscout.com and the 357th-rated prospect overall. Johnson was the Lone Star Conference Defensive Lineman of the Year when he had 50 tackles, 17.5 tackles for loss and 10 sacks.

As a junior, Johnson, who began his collegiate career at Kilgore (Texas) Junior College, had 46 tackles and 15.5 tackles for loss.

Despite having success at the Division II school, Johnson didn't have any high expectations coming into Saturday.

"My expectation was only to have an opportunity," Johnson said. "Coming from a small school, I saw all these bigger school guys get drafted. Coming from a small school I felt like I was the underdog."

Johnson said his contact with the Saints came when he played in the Texas vs. the Nation All-Star game.

Although Johnson played defensive end in Tarleton State's 4-3 defense, he said he likely projects as an outside linebacker in a 3-4 alignment.

Johnson has been timed in the 40-yard dash in 4.7 seconds. He said his best attribute is his pass-rushing ability. As a senior, Johnson had at least a half sack in seven of Tarleton State's nine games.

While there was few scouting reports available on Johnson, he is viewed as having raw pass-rushing skills, a trait that obviously caught the eye of the Saints' staff.

"I am an aggressive player and a wonderful pass-rusher," Johnson said. "My pass-rushing skills are top-notch."